


The Unknown

by paopusky



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Childhood Friends, Fake Character Death, Love/Hate, Male Homosexuality, Markings, Multi, On the Run, Original Character Death(s), Running Away, Superpowers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 02:39:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7667107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paopusky/pseuds/paopusky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Left unchecked, hate can fester, eventually consuming the soul and mind of the willing. Superpower AU. AkuRoku.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Old Friends

Boots crunched rhythmically across dirt and stones, a chorus of _tap, tap, tap,_ seemingly nothing for miles and miles on end. A stray rock had been accompanying him for a couple of miles, now, being kicked repeatedly against the tattered material that was once a shoe. Part of him regretted not picking up some new ones in the town he’d been in previously, but he’d left as soon as he had the chance, the place too quiet for his taste. The last town was more of a stepping stone, a quick place to grab something to quench his thirst and fill the never-ending hunger that came with constantly being on the move. Usually, each would be rather close to each other, paths linking outstretched land and plenty of foliage and hills to traverse through, keeping himself hidden. Annoyingly he’d seemed to come across a barren stretch of land, no sight of civilisation anywhere in the distance.

A desert, most likely, and he wasn’t sure when it was going to end. Ironically he’d considered grabbing a map a few towns ago.

He’d come too far to turn back now, anyway. Roxas had no idea if he was being followed or not. He wouldn’t doubt it.

Though, his feet were starting to ache- the next time he passed a town or city he'd have to replace the material that could barely be called _shoes_. More comfortable ones, at that. Walking for days on end didn't do anything to help the ache of the distances he was having to travel, after all. He looked rather run down and ragged if he had to be honest; His once black jumper had faded into dark grey, small strands of thread poking out at the edges and fraying at the ends, a hole in one of the sleeves. His hoodie wasn’t faring much better either. The black jeans he was sporting had marks of mud over them, fading in the same manner as his jumper. A dirty backpack slung across his thin, slouched figure; carrying bare essentials, obviously. He'd never kept hold of things, too used to keeping to the minimum for so long.

Lack of sleep was starting to take its toll on the blonde, and his throat felt parched, vision swimming every so often as sleep tried to take it's way over. It felt like somebody was searing his throat, sticking a hot brand there with nothing to soothe it. He'd drunk the little water he could get days ago, the lack of hydration starting to make him feel light-headed, almost stumbling every few steps. No matter what, he had to carry on. Roxas didn't even know the full reason he was walking in this direction in the first place; he chuckled at the fact, but the action only seemed to elate his pain. If it was up to him, he would've stayed in that nice hotel he didn't pay for. The free chocolate pancakes called to him.

The blonde __did__ know why he was running. Yes, that was clearly obvious. He just didn't know __where__ he was going.

"Xion... You better have a good reason for leading me this way..." He sighed deeply, his voice hoarse and scratchy, the dust and dirt blowing around not remedying it in the slightest. He didn’t get an answer in reply.

* * *

 

The male darted his eyes around, looking for any sign of activity he could. After seeing none, he gave the signal for his troop to progress forward, continuing their search. He was a rather young man to be commanding a group of soldiers, but nobody doubted his abilities to lead them well. He got the job done, and cleanly at that, and that was all that mattered. He was around twenty-one years of age, with long-ish flaming red hair, spiked up in all directions. It was just like him; couldn't be told what to do. The rest of him sported plain black, holsters containing various weapons. His favourites were the small daggers resting at his side.

Despite his age, he flew through the ranks and made it to the top due to his talent with a blade. The man was __fast__ _,_ and not a single opponent had overpowered him.

Nobody knew him as a p _erson_ , however. Just the 'soldier version' of him. He preferred to keep it that way. Learning not to get attached was the first thing you needed to stick with, in the army, and he did that well. When you regarded your teammates as your friends, you become careless, emotions controlling. He never let his emotions get the better of him - some people wondered if he even had any. Part of him wished that was true.

None of the troops had heard him mutter more than a couple words, the man mysterious as he was deadly.

The troops followed behind him, all carrying guns, minor protective gear equipped. They had to be cautious, as anything could happen at any moment. They seemed reluctant the more they walked, though, looking around apprehensively.

"Why are we heading this way? It looks deserted..." One of the 'newbies' proclaimed rather loudly, an edge of complaint to his voice.

"Shut up and follow." He spoke simply and quickly, although the sheer intimidation of his voice didn't egg the soldier to carry on. Almost as if it was a coincidence, Axel managed to spot a figure in the distance- __him__ _._ He gave the signal to go, albeit carefully, a glint in his eyes. He'd been tracking him for years, but never getting close _enough_ , and now it seemed they might finally get their chance.

* * *

 

Oblivious, the timid, worn out boy carried on. His legs almost gave out from under him, and he contemplated lying down for a moment, the pressure on the limbs getting increasingly painful. The thought quickly vanished when he heard footsteps; crunches on the ground, seeming to be rapidly getting closer. Fear coursed through him. He'd been _careful._ _ _How__ did the find him?

Roxas spun around, the fear jolting him awake, spotting a number of figures quickly advancing towards him, soon surrounding him.

' _ _Xion! Why didn't you warn me__ _?’_ He thought, trying to spot any way he could escape but coming up with nothing; the soldiers knew what they were doing and quickly blocked any escape. The leader, it seemed, split apart from the group, sword in one hand and his other was clenched into a fist. He slowly walked towards Roxas, his crimson spikes bouncing slightly with every step, his eyes narrowed but a smirk playing on his lips. He was wearing a long black coat with a large zip travelling from top to bottom, the sleeves almost covering his hands. The contrast between black and red stood out, almost seeming as if his hair was blazing against the sun. A brief flash of recognition flashed in his mind but was instantly overtaken by panic.

' _ _Well, it's not over yet. They'll have me over my dead body, Xion. Where the fuck are you? I need you!__ _'_ Roxas began to panic, though not letting it show, however. If they saw even the slightest bit of unease or nervousness, they could overpower him. He kept his gaze on the leader, face stone cold.

' _ _I needed to see how you would be able to deal in this situation. I won't be there for you to call upon whenever you feel like it, Roxas__ _._ ' The voice scolded, a slight playful present in her tone. With that, she fell silent.

The leader stopped, a fair way away from Roxas, his green eyes twinkling with excitement and various other emotions of what was about to come. His eyes fixated on the blonde's, studying them for a reaction before he spoke.

"I'm gathering that you won't just come along quietly?" He asked, tilting his head upwards slightly, the question sounding more like a rhetorical one, leaving no room for an answer. His voice was calm despite being faced with someone who was known to have strong abilities- what abilities though, he had no clue. Roxas chuckled at him, not fazed.

' _ _Just be here if I need you, okay__ _?_ ' Roxas projected, feeling the ghost of a reluctant agreement from the entity that was always close by, just often wouldn't show it. He’d take whatever he could get, especially in moments like these.

"Oh, you know me too well. Though I guess that would come from being relentlessly chased after for longer than I can remember." He sneered, facing away from the leader. "I guess you're not going to let me go either, will you? Looks like we're stuck in quite a __pickle,__ aren't we?" Roxas placed his hands on his hips, almost pressing for a reaction from them. He might as well have his fun while he was at it.

"Oh," he turned, motioning to the leader, finger outstretched almost menacingly. "You might want to take your hand off your sword. You don't want this to get messy, do you? But then again, unless you let me go, this won't end very good." He threatened, eyes darkening, the soldiers shrinking back, expecting the worst. Since the blonde had been so efficient at hiding, they hadn't physically seen his powers, nor been given any information. Barely anybody had. Roxas was careful, he _had_ to be.

' _ _It depends what I get in return...__ ' the voice, although rather late, answered Roxas' plea before drifting off, its presence lessening, letting the boy focus on his enemies. He could still feel Xion, as always, but she was barely a ghost of a touch, a whisper in the breeze.

The man let out a chuckle of sorts, his green eyes casting downwards. "I would never let an enemy just slip away, no matter the cost. Those are my orders and I obey them, simple really." He stood straight again, ignoring the surprise of the soldiers around him. "You don't know what I'm capable of, kid. Yet you still threaten me? How naive." With that he finished, a faint smirk tugged at his lips, his eyes still fixated on the blonde.

Said blonde grinned wildly in response, shaking his head. ' _ _Idiots.__ _'_ The soldiers probably thought all they were going to do was eliminate some nobody, a person with a big ego or some crap like that.

"Well, your orders must have been a death sentence, because that's all you're getting today. Considering I don't plan on dying today or getting taken by you __pussies__. So, you can go fuck yourself. Or, better yet, you can fuck each other; I'm sure that'll be _pleasant."_

"Hmph..." The man standing opposite Roxas put his fingers on the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes in an almost pissed-off manner. "You certainly know how to act all high-and-mighty, don't you? How about we see just how well you can back up your words- shall __we__ _?"_ His eyes opened, a rage burning in his eyes that was unseen by anybody before. It was like he wanted to _fight_ him with every pore of his body, wanted to __kill__ him, or be killed himself. Roxas could tell. His look was similar to one of blood-lust. It was amusing, to say the least. He thought he'd have a chance.

The man drew his sword, the blood-lust look in his eyes just growing stronger by the second, though he shook his head when the troops around him began to ready their guns. Roxas cocked his head slightly in confusion, blue eyes narrowing.

"A-are you crazy?!" One of the youngsters asked in shock, eyes wide. The blonde had to agree with him with that. Their leader basically left himself alone, even more defenceless against Roxas. He didn't want to use his __abilities__ _,_ but if he had to, he...he would. Even if it went against everything he'd promised himself.

The red-haired man simply took a fighting stance and sighed. "You want to live, correct?" His gaze watched his comrades take a step back warily. Roxas crossed his arms, studying him.

"You should listen to him. Run. I don't intend on leaving any survivors that are in my sight."

‘ _It’s almost amusing how cocky you’re appearing at this moment.’_

Roxas ignored the light tone of Xion’s voice, though his facade almost cracked. He had to appear like he had some sort of power, at least. The less soldiers around the better his chance to escape.

With that, the soldiers turned on themselves and almost sprinted away, a few of them tripping over in the process, scrambling on the ground. Only the leader remained, his hands still steadily holding his sword, the point of the blade pressed into the ground, waiting for Roxas' next move. The blonde walked over to him, putting his forefinger against the leader's neck.

"You seem angry..." Roxas walked around the man, wincing as his legs began to shake from exhaustion. Possibly because the guy was _terrifyingly_ menacing, too. "Are you one of the many that wish to kill me?" He whispered almost seductively, stepping back with a grin. The redhead growled in response, baring his teeth.

"I am doing as I was told to do..." He spoke, but his tone was unconvincing - Roxas was sure he had other motivations, he just needed to find out what. Two soldiers that had remained, although further back, turned and quietly walked away, clearly afraid of what was to come.

Not that it appeared to bother him.

He shut his eyes, sucking in a breath, speaking rather hastily, an angry glint in his eyes, almost a glare. "You can't seduce yourself out of this situation."

"Fine then." Roxas shrugged, crossing his arms. "Not like I'm some whore, but what do __you__ know. Let's cut to the chase. What do you __really__ want with me?" Roxas pressed, looking the taller male in the eye. He couldn't shake the feeling that this guy was familiar, but the blonde didn't concentrate on that. He had a feeling the anger in the other man's eyes would erupt soon.

"Because, let me tell you, I do not want to be fucked around with. So you can save your lectures about how the army needs me, blah blah blah, because I'm not interested in becoming a military weapon, or _dying_ , _thank you very much."_

"Did I _honestly_ say anything about you being used?" The man narrowed his eyes- the anger was almost radiating off of him. "I don't know what they want with you. My orders aren't to kill you." Lie. "Probably so you can repay crimes you've committed. Or, maybe,” He paused, taking the time to emphasise the next word, “deaths you've caused?"

Roxas froze, stepping back slightly. "N-No..."

' _Xion_ … _'_ It fell on deaf ears. Xion already knew what had happened that night, knew it struck a cord with the boy. He outright refused to use any of his abilities after that, solely relying on her and the various things she could do to get by. The voice wavered silently, sticking by, waiting to see how Roxas reacted.

Green eyes opposite widened for less than a second, then narrowed into slits. "So it really __is__ you..." His grip on his sword tightened, taking a few deep breaths as to not rush in and stab Roxas right then and there. His facade dropped, if only for a second, as his eyes widened.

' _ _Hm? Did that hit a nerve? He seems to know something about the incident, based on his reaction.__ _'_ The voice pitched in, grounding him back to the situation and clearing his mind, if a little.

' _ _Just shut it for a second. Let's see how I can play this.__ _'_ Roxas silently spoke to her, crossing his arms tightly. His calm had cracked slightly but he couldn't let his opponent notice, though with his luck he probably already had. "You're not with the army, are you? You think I did something. Well, you've got no proof."

 _'_ _ _I will be quiet when I want to be quiet.__ _.._ ' Xion didn't have the edge in her voice like usual though; she seemed to be intrigued, wanting to see how it would play out. That made two of them.

"Oh, I am with the army. I just have my own, separate motivations." The redhead stepped closer, his eyes still narrowed. "Maybe I'm here because I wanted to see if it was really you… __Roxas__ _._ " He spat out the words almost as if they tasted bitter in his mouth, his knuckles going white from the tight grip he had on the handle, a slight shake of his arms.

It then dawned on the boy exactly who was standing in front of him, their figures dangerously close.

"A-Axel?" Roxas whispered, his knees threatening to buckle on him. How didn't he notice sooner? Those green eyes, that familiar red hair... The memories he'd desperately tried to run away from hitting him at full force. All the guilt, crashing against him in waves. The day the blonde had tried __so__ hard to forget. A single tear ran down his face, dropping off his chin, evaporating into the dust on the ground as quickly as it had come. Axel growled at the helpless sight.

"How do you think _I_ feel? She was my __sister__ _._ " The redhead took a step closer, sword skimming against the dirt, though Roxas didn’t budge an inch. "My _goddamn_ _ _sister__ _._ And _you_ took her away from me."

"You want to kill me, right?" The blonde looked up to angry eyes. "Just do it." His face crumpled, eyebrows furrowing. "Just fucking do it! I'm __tired__ of running."

' _ _You're so pathetic. Giving up because 'he' comes along__ _!'_ Xion's words had an unusual amount of emotion to them, compared to her usual emotionless commentary, though Roxas barely heard her words, his eyes still focused on Axel’s.

Axel raised his sword and placed it near the blonde's neck, the sharp metal inches from his skin. "Do you honestly think that death will suffice for losing my sister?" He asked, surprising Roxas with the amount of emotion in his voice. The hand holding the sword was still shaking ever so slightly, occasionally touching his neck with the cool silver of the blade. Silence hung in the air, both of them lost in their pasts. The blonde was still an emotional wreck, memories of his best friend swimming in his mind, the guilt eating at him, his resolve shattered. Axel just stared, keeping his eyes fixated on the figure below him and nothing else. Words, sentences, paragraphs, more and more things of what he wanted to say kept floating in his mind, yet his attempts were useless; his mouth was suddenly dry, nothing forming on his lips. His hand began to shake more, and slightly grazed Roxas’ neck.

A thin, almost invisible purple-like shimmer appeared in a distinct circle around the boy and Axel's sword was knocked from his grasp, landing on the ground near them, the clashing deafening compared to the silence. Roxas gasped, looking up into an equally surprised face. The redhead's expression the turned fierce again, Xion's actions obviously snapping him out of his past-fuelled daze.

Before he could react to Axel coming closer with his murderous stare, his surroundings shifted and his vision blurred; his whole body felt like it had been shifted around and turned upside down, the world spinning a hundred miles a minute. The abruptness made him vomit somewhere near him, his stomach heaving as he lost his grip on everything around him. His eyes shut tightly and he tried to calm his breathing, his stomach still doing flips as he accustomed to his surroundings. When he was sure he could open his eyes without emptying the contents of his stomach, he cracked them open slightly, eyes widening in surprise when he came face to face with a brick wall and a __very__ appealing pile of sick.

' _ _The barrier was just a precaution, his sword was touching you too many times. He caught your neck slightly, Roxas__ _.'_ She sighed before continuing. ' _ _And... I had to tap into your abilities__ _.'_

' _ _What? I can't fucking teleport, Xion__ _.'_ The blonde growled, leaning back against the wall. He wiped his neck and sure enough, there was blood. He didn't even feel the sting. Although pissed at the fact she'd somehow used his abilities, his mind was still reeling at the sight of Axel. ‘Or… _whatever that was.’_

' _ _That's just it, Roxas. You've only used your abilities once by accident. You have no idea what you can do__ _.'_

Ignoring her, the blonde stood up, bracing himself through the slight wash of dizziness and slowly made his way to the end of the alley he'd appeared in, blending with the busy shoppers on the street. He'd turned up in a city, it seemed; by the number of people and how large the buildings towered. Either that would be a blessing or furthering his troubles.

' _ _You might want to wipe your nose. You appear to have a nosebleed__ _.'_

Roxas stopped at a nearby cash machine, wiping the blood away with his sleeve, pretending to press some buttons while a large wad of money slid out. Xion's influence was useful, he had to admit. She could access anything that was electronic with barely a thought.

_'_ __There's a small bed and breakfast a couple streets down._ _ __A_ _ __n elderly_ _ __man and a daughter_ _ __, it seems. If you can manage it, I'd advise going there_ _ _.'_

At least that was one thing they could agree on. He desperately needed to rest, even if just for a couple days. He could worry about new clothes tomorrow- Xion must have been feeling generous because the cash now stuffed in his pocket was more than she usually took for him. Roxas pulled his hood up, his head cast downwards. His mind was buzzing, questions racing, clouding his thoughts. Axel had joined the army just to get to __him__ _._ To make him pay for what he did.

It was an accident. He would __never__ hurt her... But he knew Axel would never see it like that. The murderous stare in his eyes, that wasn't the kid he knew at all.

' _ _Roxas, here__.' Xion's unusually gentle voice snapped him out of his daze and he stilled, looking up to a small building, littered with colourful flowers and a glowing 'vacancy' sign hanging out the front. Checking his surroundings to make sure nobody had followed him, he entered, only to be met with a kind smile of a young woman cleaning near some old, vintage-like chairs.

"Hi, darlin'. You lookin' for a room? Only fifty pounds per night, includin' meals." She glanced at him warmly, vaguely reminding him of his mom – if she was twenty years younger. Roxas rarely thought of her - the sharp reminder of what he'd lost felt like a stab to his heart. She must have noticed because her face fell. "You okay there hun?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... How about that room?" Roxas mustered a forced smile, running a hand through his hair, which was filled with dirt and dust, some of it falling to the floor. The woman didn't seem to notice though, and if she did she didn't seem to mind. Her polite smile never wavered.

"Sure! Follow me." The blonde-haired woman put the vacuum to the side and led him upstairs, handing him a key. "You're number twenty-two. Just ask if you need some help. My name’s Cindy and my paw-paw out back is called Cid. You can pay at the end of your stay if that's what you'd prefer." Roxas nodded his thanks, following her along the corridor. "How long you lookin' to stay?"

"Just a couple nights." As if he could stay more. They'd track him everywhere he went; he could never stay in one place for long. Roxas didn't really want to give them trouble either, since the lady seemed nice...

"Okay hun, that room's not booked for another week so if you decide to stay longer, just let me know!" She almost oozed with kindness, her eyes showing the genuinity of it all. Roxas was glad, when he opened the door, just to have a place to sleep. After drinking more water than he could manage, he collapsed on the bed, drifting off to sleep as soon as his head touched the pillow, troubled thoughts evaporating as he fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 

Axel couldn't sleep.

He turned over in his bed, the springs slightly creaking at his movement. A blanket laid loosely over his naked frame, the warm night's air providing more than enough heat to suffice.

Something knocked away his sword. Or __someone__ _. Someone_ was protecting him. They'd thought he was working alone, but how was he that hard to track? It was blatantly obvious. All those years he'd spent, trying to track down his sister's killer. Only for Roxas to fall from his grasp.

One thing was for sure; if he ever saw the blonde again, he wouldn't let the past drag him down. He wouldn't stop until Roxas was dead, his sword being the cause. He owed that to her. Axel owed that to Kairi.


	2. Art of Keeping Up Disappearances

The moment Roxas awoke he was made aware of the extent of his injuries – his aching limbs cried out in pain, body flinching as he tried to make himself sit up but to no avail. A pained gasp escaped from his chapped lips, his head falling back onto the rather comfortable pillow – a lot better than he could find down an abandoned alley, that much was for sure – which was now covered in dirt from his hair.

‘ _Clear your mind.’_ A soft hum softly spoke inside his head, caressed with soothing undertones. She wanted him to use his abilities – she thought he could heal himself, or some relative bullshit. He wasn’t buying it.

“You know-” He grunted, pain still present, “I don’t know why you think I have all these amazing powers. I’m more like a curse. A death wish.”

‘ _What happened was an accident. That doesn’t mean your abilities are solely_ _there_ _to kill people.’_ The tone in her voice hinted that she was exasperated, though she carried on. ‘ _If you really believe you don’t ‘have all these powers’, how did I teleport you here? Your powers unlocked that night, when you established your connection to me, all those years ago. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. I had to turn the key that was already in ignition yesterday; all you have to do is press the pedal.’_

Sighing, he managed to get his feet to touch the floor, stretching slightly. He put his head in the palms of his dirt-coated hands, contemplating. “...Even if I _could,_ I wouldn’t know _how.”_

Xion was silent for a while, the room seeming eerily empty. ‘ _Clear your mind and imagine the pain just floating away. Cuts and bruises gone, limbs relaxed.’_

Roxas closed his eyes even as they complained and ached, playing along with Xion’s supposed belief. After about ten seconds of _absolute_ _ly_ _nothing_ he sighed, opening his eyes again. “This is pointless.”

‘ _Actually try, and you’ll be surprised.’_

Roxas closed his eyes, _again_ , and tried to imagine the aching sensation leaving, grazes and cuts on his legs no more, soreness eradicated, visualising that maybe for a second it _could_ work. When he cracked open his eyes – only slightly noticing the veil of pale green that temporarily coated his skin with a shimmer – he glanced downwards, expecting to see the clotted scratch on his knee, but there was... nothing. Not even a scar, just the ragged tear of the material where the scrape was before, tinged with dark, dried blood at the end. In surprise and mild shock he abruptly stood upwards, noticing then that he no longer ached, not even in the slightest. “W- _What the hell?!”_

‘ _Told you.’_

If he could see her face he knew she’d be smirking.

“You were right – _well done._ Want a medal?” He rolled his eyes, walking off to the bathroom, pulling his mangled clothes off as he went. It probably wasn’t the greatest idea to fall asleep in his dirt-ridden clothes, though that was the last thing on his mind as he practically passed out on the bed.

“... _Roxas...”_ Her voice was barely a whisper, passing along his ear like a breeze.

“What?” He opened his eyes, which he’d briefly closed while he was removing his shirt, and creaked open the wooden door to the bathroom. Roxas stilled as he came face to face with the full length mirror that was hanging innocently on the wall – and although he desperately wanted to look away, he _couldn’t._

It was no surprising news that Deviants had so called ‘markings’. It was trouble for some, as if one had facial markings, they were poised for threat almost instantly. Everyone differed. Each was as diverse as the powers they wielded, and tattoos were uncommon since they were easily mistaken. When Roxas became aware that he was a deviant all those nights ago, when Xion established their connection, when he realised that he was the one thing that everyone feared the most in the world – he gained a marking.

On his chest, to be exact. It was something resembling a sun, a blue dot filled in with protruding swirly rays. He was lucky it was coverable.

Now it stuck out like a sore thumb.

The turquoise swirls had grown, spreading out to his shoulders in intricate patterns and laces, the ones travelling lower deepening in their blue hue and the ones travelling higher, to his collarbones, fading into white. The spirals rippled over his flesh, twirling around his nipples, ending just below his torso. While before he had the smallest marking that barely reminded him of his fate – now he had a constant reminder that covered his chest, over and over taunting him that he wasn’t _normal,_ that the power he controlled, the power he _wielded_ _-_ had _killed_ someone.

His fist collided with the mirror before he could comprehend it, before even Xion could utter a word, not that he expected her to speak anyway. He could hear the ghost of her sigh as the broken shards dug into his dirty knuckles, blood oozing on the floor like a broken pipe. _Drip. Drip. Drip._

His reflection bore holes into his psyche, hundreds of shards echoing his expression right back at him.

At least he couldn’t see his chest anymore.

* * *

 

A day later Roxas found himself taking sanctuary inside a desolate, barren coffee shop, his finger absent-mindedly twirling around the outside of a cup, head resting on his palm, eyes unfocused as his mind drifted elsewhere.

He’d managed to get some new clothes, ones which weren’t dirty and filled with holes. His shoes actually _didn’t_ make his feet hurt, which was an accomplishment. Instead of looking like an obvious runaway he now looked _normal,_ which gave him a slight piece of mind. He’d make sure he wouldn’t wait so long to _properly_ rest this time.

Xion must have ‘teleported’ him somewhere that was quite far away from his previous location as he hadn’t been tracked, not yet – even with that slight safety blanket he was still on edge, unable to get a full night’s sleep or calm his worry. It was either Kairi or Axel plaguing his thoughts, the former filled with blood and hate and the latter just as much, except with those _burning_ green eyes, eyes that he never wanted to see again.

One more day and he’d leave, go on the run again. He couldn’t live in luxury for long, and didn’t want to take the risk that he’d get caught. Not with somebody like Axel after him now, a person that was fuelled by revenge and hate. Wishing for a normal life was pointless – it was something he’d never get close to. No friends, no home, no life, no normality. Either that or be dead, or worse – a guinea pig in some laboratory, or as a weapon for the military.

He’d never expected Axel of all people to be after him, thirsty for blood, in the army just to get _him_. It was all his fault though. He _killed_ Kairi. Roxas could never take that back, nor undo all the pain it must have caused.

He yearned to see her again, now more than ever. They were best friends, ever since they were kids and would play all day under the burning sun. Living next to each other only furthered that fact – they’d have endless sleepovers, binge on ice cream and play video games until it was dark. The two were as inseparable as anybody could ever hope to be.

“ _Roxaaas!” Kairi giggled into their makeshift telephone line, one that was consisted of string and two paper cups. Since they lived mere metres apart they often stayed up all night chatting through their only form of communication – other than shouting, that is. “Wake up, sleepyhead!”_

“ _I wasn’t asleep.” Roxas deeply sighed into the cup a few seconds later. “I was studying for the exams. I need to pass this, Kairi. I want to do something important and meaningful with my life eventually.”_

“ _Tch. You know I don’t agree, but whatever.” Kairi was probably rolling her eyes at this point. All Roxas had ever wanted to do was be in the army and work towards getting rid of the Deviants. They were abnormalities, ones which only rained terror and death down on the world. They killed and that’s all they did. Yet Kairi never agreed. She’d insist that not every Deviant was bad, that there was just as many as kindhearted as themselves._

_He never agreed._

“ _Hey, wanna come down to the beach? It’s way more interesting than studying, that’s for sure.”_

_Roxas looked from a random blank spot on his wall to the piles of paperwork scattered all over the desk, not seeing any harm in taking a break for a little while. He had been working himself to death lately._

“ _Sure. Meet me outside in five.”_

_He could see her smiling devilishly through the window, knowing that she never really had to put much effort into getting from away from his studies. They knew each other too well for that. “Will do.”_

_Their route was lit as they walked down the spiral paths to the beach, the sky darkening quicker than he would’ve liked. Not that they were ever in any danger at night – Destiny Islands was the safest place they could’ve been. Nothing ever happened in their peaceful, idyllic town._

_A few families could be seen playing in the waters, kids splashing about and having fun, a small child floating on a duck shaped inflatable toy while their parents smiled encouragingly behind. Kairi was unusually quiet as they arrived at the beach, the two making their way around rocky coves and marine creature-filled pools until they got to their usual spot – a small area which was discreetly hidden away, overlooking a small island and the rest of the peaceful sea, a barren cave tucked away behind them._

“ _Roxas…. I know that you’re set on your decision, and you know what you want to do but… do you really want to join the army? It’s no secret that you’ll be put through rigorous training methods and eventually have to hunt down people tougher than you could imagine...”_

_It was on her mind again. Only a few months left of this semester and he’d be free of his meaningless school studies and sent off to train for two years, pitted against people who could kill with one blow, and then hopefully be put through to be a meaningless soldier, a low rank that were treated like punching bags… and if you were lucky, be sent off in a special classified training group to fight and capture Deviants. Years down the line... maybe even a Captain._

“... _I don’t want to lose you.” He noticed then that her eyes had started to water, unshed tears sitting, waiting to be allowed free. “You’ll be gone, Roxas. I’ll never know when I might wake up and you’ll be dead, killed in one pitiful strike from some ruthless Deviant. Is this really… what you want?”_

_Roxas paused, caught off guard at the completely sad and utter pleading look in her eyes. He had to do something. Deviants didn’t belong, and they weren’t kind. They were bloodthirsty._

_Before he could reply, however, they were interrupted by an unusual barrage of shouting, screaming, and… guns?_

“ _Get her! Dead or alive, if you have to. We have to protect these civilians at all costs.” A rough voice commanded seemingly close by, leaving Roxas and Kairi to share worried looks in their hidden cove._

“ _Her? Do you think... a Deviant? Here?” Kairi’s eyes grew wide, mouth hanging open in shock. “What should we do?”_

“ _Stay here. It’s safer than going out at this point, if there is a Deviant loose.”_

_A scream ripped through the air straight after a gunshot, and scuffling; seconds later a body flew off the cliff directly above the two and headed directly for the water, the woman screaming, legs and arms flailing as she dived straight into the sea. The second her body touched the liquid, a faint yellow shimmer ran over the top of it, then accompanied with thick, yellow bolts that splattered in all directions, crazy and uncontainable – electricity?_

_Eyes widening in realisation, he darted his head towards the other end of the beach to see the families who were once playing happily laying limp in the water, closer to the shore than they originally had been. One of the children stood lone on the sand, tears streaming from his eyes, watching as his family were electrocuted to death, clearly having tried to escape before their untimely demise._

_How… could she?_

_The woman began to make her way to the sand between the two, her clothes limply hung on her body, face downcast. Roxas seethed, burning with rage, not caring about the lethal foe in front of him. She coughed as she reached the shore, her blonde hair stuck to her face in clumps. Blood dripped down her thigh – the bullet had seemingly just skimmed the outside of her skin, a deep gash left behind._

“ _You bastard.”_

“ _Roxas!!” Kairi pleaded, grabbing his arm tightly. Her voice sounded strained, like she was about to burst into tears. “Let’s just get away, please!”_

_He shook her off, not faltering in the slightest. Well, that was until the stranger looked up, her eyes filled with pain and sorrow, remorse and self hate. Roxas felt like he couldn’t breathe – the last thing he expected was to see the amount of pain that laid in her eyes, the amount of regret that filled her features._

“ _Get in there.” He swallowed, not taking his gaze off hers. Roxas pointed to the cave behind them momentarily, noticing how her mouth dropped open and eyes widened. “Unless you want to be killed.”_

“ _Why?” She asked with such intensity that he recoiled, her teeth baring. “Why would you help me?”_

_Roxas narrowed his eyes. “Because it wasn’t your fault. I can tell you didn’t mean to kill those people, however innocent they were. You don’t deserve to die.”_

_She paused, looking between the two before nodding in gratitude and running off behind them, the squeak her water-filled shoes gave off soon disappearing. He then knelt down, putting his head in his hands, looking up to see Kairi’s confused and slightly perplexed face._

“ _Get down, dumbass. Trust me.”_

_She followed suit and he wrapped one of his arms around her, noticing her stiffen, though she still didn’t dare speak a word. He was glad – not even he himself was fully grasping why he was doing this. “Just stay still.”_

_A minute passed before frantic footsteps could be heard. Roxas peered upwards, trying to look as terrified as he could._

“ _You there. Where did she go?” One of them asked, a few others looking suspicious. Roxas raised his hand to point towards the other direction – to more rocks and eventually a grassy wasteland beyond._

“ _S-She ran off in that direction a few minutes ago.” He stammered, letting his hand drop. His eyes found the dead bodies again, which nobody would dare to move for fears of joining them. He didn’t doubt the cops would be called. The little boy was gone, probably taken from the scene which would only cause trauma for the rest of his life. He wondered if the boy had any family – he’d probably grow up to hate Deviants just as Roxas did._

_Without a doubt in their minds they rushed off towards the direction Roxas pointed, not even bothering to consider looking in the cave. Grabbing Kairi’s slightly shaking hand he stood up, walking back towards the beach and away in silence. She didn’t even try to speak as they continued back home, nor let go of his hand._

_When they reached their familiar houses he let go, though she moved to pull him backwards. He avoided the contact._

“ _Roxas...”_

“ _No.” He turned around, his eyes narrowed. She recoiled in shock, though didn’t argue. “We don’t talk about this. Ever again.”_

_With that he disappeared into his house, up the stairs, away from his worried parents, away from Kairi, away from what he’d just done._

_Roxas instantly buried himself into his duvet, head under the covers and stared at the nothingness. Nothingness was nice. No sound, no sight, nothing but the sound of his heavy breathing filling his ears._

_Everything he’d worked for._

_Everything he believed._

_Torn down by the most humane, terrified look he’d ever seen._

That was the beginning of the end, really. Doubts festered, morals questioned, then a little over a year later… _that_ night. He was glad, if he had to be honest. If he’d never saved that girl he would have gone about his life and left for the army. His powers would have appeared right in the enemy’s grasp. Roxas wouldn’t have stood a chance, and he shuddered to think about the outcome.

He didn’t notice the silent girl sat opposite him for another few minutes – until she let out a cough, to be exact. So deep in his reminiscence and engrossing thoughts she easily took the opportunity, and he even noticed her slight sly smile at his apparent shock.

“Hello.” Her welcome was surprisingly warm, and as he looked down he noticed her perfectly manicured nails were wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate, a couple of marshmallows swimming inside. She didn’t look like she was planning to move anytime soon, and he wasn’t completely sure how to react at the distinctly familiar stranger’s arrival.

“...Hi?” He furrowed his eyebrows, looking around him passively. Not a single person was currently in the cafe, bar themselves and the barista, leaving all the other seats perfectly free. “Can I… help you?”

“Is something bothering you?” Her voice felt like silk, smooth and buttery, and he almost felt himself getting sucked in. _Almost._ She spoke in the most innocent of voices, her big, blue eyes almost challenging him, deep blue pools that felt like an abyss, pulling him in further after every second. He could distinctly taste the aroma of vanilla – sweet and devilishly charming. Roxas blinked out of his fuzzy daze – and it clicked. The woman in front of him, with her compelling voice, large, turquoise eyes and almost _too_ perfect platinum hair was a Deviant. The _tap tap tap_ of her nails against the mug felt like a hypnotic tune made just for him, metaphorical quicksand pulling him deeper and covering his mind with every clink.

“No. Not that I’d be willing to share with you anyhow. Normal people don’t sit next to strangers in abandoned coffee shops.” Roxas drawled, his abandoned coffee now stone cold.

The girl seemed to take delight in this, her eyes widening as she grinned and placed a finger to her lips in contemplative thought. As some of the fogginess that had resided in his mind began to fall away, he realised how much she reminded him of Kairi, and that alone left him slightly breathless at having somebody so similar to her here.

“I have time.” She spoke, accentuating every syllable, before moving her hands to tap on her watch, every move seemingly precise like clockwork, smooth and practised. Although there was something familiar about her and her mannerisms he passed it off. He would’ve remembered if he had. It must just be the similarities… though he couldn’t stop picturing a mask of red over her hair, a shorter cut - those same eyes, however...

“Sure you do.”

He looked away and she shifted, her arms stretching out before him as she tapped the table lightly, inches away from him, in an attempt to get him to look at her. She was persistent – he had to give her that. Still, she was a stranger, a s _trange_ one at that, and seemed far too interested in him to be safe. Especially since she resembled Kairi so much, _too much._

He abruptly stood up, the table rocking slightly as he did so, the girl hastily balancing her cup as to avoid it spilling. “There’s somewhere else I have to be.” Roxas didn’t give her a chance to argue or talk further as he exited the cafe, the door twinkling as he did so, pulling his hood up past his spikes as he traversed the streets. His eyes stung, visions of Kairi still forefront in his mind.

‘ _Why can’t I go anywhere now without constantly being reminded of her? This is punishment, isn’t it?’_ Roxas groaned, grabbing his head in his hands, pulling at his hair, anything to make the pictures that were tormenting his mind go away. ‘ _My memories...Just take them away for all I care! I don’t want to remember her any more!_ _’_

Roxas could sense somebody close to him – probably the girl in the coffee shop, come to pry some more. She probably wondered why he’d stopped in his tracks so suddenly, standing in place, fists clenched.

‘ _Take your memories away? That is beyond my power. You must live with the guilt of what you did,_ _whether it was accidental or not.’_

He knew she was right – yet he didn’t reply, not when he was having trouble catching up with his own emotions, feeling the brunt of his burdens that he bore alone.

‘ _Death is common, you know.’_

The voice cut through his mind so clearly and sharply that it took him a few seconds to realise that it wasn’t actually Xion’s voice in his mind; she was deathly quiet, though he felt her presence radiate a sharp pang of distress. No, this was the girl from the coffee shop, the blonde, the one that he was _sure_ was a Deviant. Well, now he had his confirmation. Not that anybody getting inside his head was a thing that he wanted, especially if they were to find out the existence of Xion.

‘ _Death is common.’_

What did she know?

Before he even had the chance to turn around and speak to the girl she was standing upright behind him, grabbing his wrist unexpectedly and guiding him away to a well hidden area of trees, despite his confused struggles.

‘ _Don’t say a word.’_

Her fingernails dug into his skin tightly and she began to walk quicker, ducking behind some bushes and roughly pulling him down with her, causing him to tumble into the dirt at the abruptness. When Roxas regained his composure she was sitting with her finger on her lips, staring right at him, breathing heavily, her hair slightly unkempt. It was a strange look which somehow didn’t suit her – from the brief time they’d been acquainted she appeared to be composed, no stray hair unkempt, methodical and precise.

‘ _Stay here.’_

She twisted her body sideways as she stood to take cover behind a tree, taking a moment to compose herself before peering around and placing her delicate fingers on her temple, narrowing her eyes as if to focus. Roxas turned to follow her line of sight and ducked when he saw a soldier, one which was staring in his current direction. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, _hoping_ that they wouldn’t come in his direction – but no sign of any footsteps came. When he peeked over the mass of foliage hiding him he noticed the man lying face down on the floor in a pool of his own dark, thick, crimson _blood_. Roxas recoiled, eyes growing wide. He was no stranger to death, that was certain, but it still shocked him that she was capable of that – with whatever power she had. He didn’t get a chance to question the girl before her voice popped into his mind once again.

‘ _Don’t panic, but there’s more.’_

Her usually sweet, confident and calm voice sounded wavy and strange, almost like she was close to losing whatever telepathic connection she had with him. Roxas shifted his sight to her direction as he grew concerned for her, noticing she was slumped, clinging tightly onto the tree with one hand, though she still had her other hand on her temple, blood starting to fall ominously from her nose. _Not a good sign._

‘ _I-I don’t-’_ She cut off, her voice sounding far away in his mind, almost slipping completely, ‘ _think- can hold out-’_

Roxas noted a few soldiers looking her way as she made her presence more obvious – they’d be surrounded within seconds, he knew it, and then they’d both be dead.

‘ _Roxas. You know what to do. Use your powers.’_

Xion’s domineering voice was a welcome interruption to the silence and growing panic in his mind. He could see more soldiers swarm from different angles, looking around in every direction to figure out where the source was coming from – what Deviant they needed to kill this time. A few of them pointed, mainly in their direction, whispering and enclosing further.

The blonde girl half fell, half slumped next to his side, her face ashen, a few drops of blood on her white dress that had ran from her nose. She could barely keep her head up, eyes transparent, looking ready to pass out.

“I’m sorry… Roxas..”

He frowned, panic only escalating. “How do you know my name?”

She blinked slowly, another drop of blood descending onto her clothing. She looked like a wreck, and he had to do something, though he didn’t know _what_. “I-”

“ _Over there. I saw_ _definite_ _movement.”_

Roxas froze, his heart practically standing still at those words. They’d been spotted, nowhere to run that wouldn’t get them shot point blank. There would be too many to outrun in the first place – and even though looking out for his own skin was his first and only priority, he couldn’t leave the girl. She’d _tried_ , and even if it was to save herself, she’d put herself at risk _trying._

He’d use his powers – or try, at least. Just not in the way Xion wanted him to. Roxas could’ve easily been one of those soldiers if he’d never met that Deviant which had changed his outlook on _everything._ Easily been one of those soldiers that would perish instantly.

He.. couldn’t, he couldn’t use his powers, not like that, never again. Roxas reassured himself that he _had_ to do this, it was a life or death situation and it wasn’t just him he needed to save.

Roxas let his hand fall to his side, lifting it to grip the girl’s hand, finding it to be rather soft and delicate compared to his rough, calloused-filled fingers. Closing his eyes he _imagined_ his room, back at that sweet little bed and breakfast owned by the orphan and her relative who he’d only briefly spoken to.

‘ _Clear your mind.’_

Regardless of whether he’d vowed to use his powers or not wasn’t relevant. Not at the present moment in time. Just a little way away – no big deal at all. He imagined the _feel_ of the room, the slight draft he found had ran through the room, the constant creak of the floorboards, the faded cliché old wallpaper. The delicate patterns of the overhead lamps which didn’t provide with as much light as they should. The pinpoint cracks on the faded white windowsill, the windowpanes that rattled in the wind, the pieces of broken mirror which still lay shattered on the tiled floor. Roxas imagined himself there, in that room, with the girl, imagined passing through the wind, the air bending to his will to take them to the room he could just _feel_ between his fingers…

As he cracked open his eyes he saw a tense soldier approach them, surrounded by countless others, leaping forward to catch them, guns at the ready.

The soldier’s hand, however, just slipped through empty air. Roxas smiled slightly as he saw his vision in front of him ripple and change to that of the room he willed himself to be in. He’d done it. Not only that, but it felt so _natural._

Even though it shouldn’t have. He… that was it. No more powers. He could do that, right?

The girl he’d momentarily forgotten about staggered as she was suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar place; she reacted exactly as he did previous and threw up on the floor, gripping her head in obvious dizziness. Panting slightly he willed the room to stop spinning and the pressure in his head to fade, glad that he didn’t throw up this time and slightly mystified at what he’d just _done._ Closing his eyes he took a minute to zone out and try and rid himself of the shock of the proximity of those soldiers and all the unanswered questions at the forefront of his mind. His head felt heavier than he could describe.

By the time he regained his senses enough to think clearly and snap himself out of his daze it was dark, the room still undisturbed, bar the sick having been cleaned up neatly from the wooden floor. He also noticed the glass had been removed, no trace of the shards previously on the tile. The mirror was still cracked, however.

The girl was quietly sitting in the corner on a chair that he’d never noticed beforehand. She looked up from the book she had her nose stuck in; her gaze met Roxas’ and she let out a brief smile.

“You’re awake.”

“Nice observation.”

“You’ve gotten snarky since we last met.” She clicked her tongue, book abandoned yet still resting in her lap. “Roxas.”

“I suppose you’re not going to tell me how you know my name? Even though I have no idea of yours in the slightest?” Roxas rolled his eyes, bringing his knees up to his chest and resting his head in-between his arms. He still felt completely exhausted from earlier, though his head wasn’t spinning as ferociously. He took that as a good sign. Maybe he’d just strained himself trying to get away with an added person. Teleporting – or _whatever_ it was – wasn’t a feat he was trained in, or knew a great deal about.

“Oh, on the contrary.” She set her book down slowly and approached Roxas apprehensively, resting opposite him with her knees crossed, her face parallel to his. “Before I do this… I would like to apologise in advance. I _had_ to do it.”

Roxas regarded her with interest, staying silent. Xion hadn’t spoken up, not for a long time, though she often did that when she had nothing interesting or worthwhile to input. Not that he’d ever admit it, but it made him feel lonely most of the time.

She reached upwards to place her delicate fingers against his temples, her fingernails skimming his skin, her eyes locked on his, regarding him with a careful stare. He found he couldn’t look away, not even when a gentle hum began to caress his mind. Any logical person would take this as a moment to worry, or to panic, or to run away from the unnatural circumstance he’d found himself in. Regardless, he was interested in what she was attempting – or trying to show him? Her fingers didn’t budge as the hum grew louder, but she seemed to have a great deal concentrating.

Then, almost like a veil had been lifted, a portion of his memories that he had no idea he’d even _had, never mind_ _forgotten_ , streamed back at full force in his mind, crystal clear.

She was there all the time, with Kairi, tagging along. They’d never been as close as he was to the redhead but he’d always considered her a friend, a sweet girl who didn’t interact with anybody more than she needed to. Playing at the beach on those hot summer days, watching boring, pointless movies, eating ice cream by the pint. Then she just… _disappeared_. The last memory he had of her was on that familiar beach when they were both fifteen, Kairi nowhere to be found, her being unusually silent, then touching his head, just as she was doing now. Kairi’s best friend…

“ _Namine?_ ”


	3. Terrakinesis

“What did you _do?”_

Roxas didn’t _mean_ for his tone to sound as harsh as it did, but her evident flinch betrayed exactly how he felt. He was too disorientated, too taken aback, too _confused._

A whole portion of his life wiped away, and he was completely and utterly _unaware._

“My powers came out exactly four hundred and three days before I ran.” She couldn’t meet his gaze, her hands nervously fumbling with the hem of her jumper, instead choosing to gaze at the nearby window – although there was nothing to see in the dead of night. “I don’t want to hide anything from you, Roxas. That was never my intention. It was… safer. That I left.”

He could understand that, at least. Xion’s presence seemed to soften too.

‘ _Xion… Did_ _Namine affect your memories too_ _?_ _Did you remember her?_ _’_

“She didn’t.”

Roxas could sense the alarm rippling down the invisible tether, and he couldn’t stop the surprise from becoming evident on his face, his mouth popping open in an abrupt _o._ Namine giggled, despite the situation.

“I can see… her. She seems like a her, anyway. It’s sort of like a mist, hanging in the air, tied to you utterly and completely. I can hear everything you project to her like you’re speaking aloud. Everything she says, too. They’re unlike usual thoughts, which I have to strain to hear… I can’t shut your conversations out, even if I wanted to.”

‘ _I don’t trust her.’_

Roxas rolled his eyes at her response. Although he couldn’t see her, he could sense her _pout,_ the stubbornness to open up to anybody new. Anyone who wasn’t Roxas was an enemy, and at best, someone she’d just ignore. Having all of her words no longer private was jarring to _Roxas,_ never mind the calculated, supposedly unemotional being she was. “She’s just always had me for company. You’ll get used to her… Probably. Though I don’t think I’ll ever get used to not having her words being private. Or mine.”

A giggle arose from her lips. “You gained a sense of humour, I see.”

“… So why _did_ you run?”

Namine bit her lip, a more serious expression passing across her face. “My powers awakened one day at school. It began with these headaches, like white noise bouncing around in my brain, my ears, an undying chorus of nothing yet everything at once – I had no idea what to make of it, but dismissed it as some sort of bug. Maybe. As the days went on, that white noise began to form as voices. Hundreds of voices, chattering at once, loud and soft and whispering and screaming all just melting into one. You must have noticed I was absent a lot around spring.

“The turning point that made me realise I had powers was when I was at off sick one day, and Mother came to check on me. She was running the Inn alone at that point, and with family visiting… I heard her say, as clear as day, ‘ _Not this shit again’._ Yet her lips never moved an inch. After going into the kitchen, I saw Dad, too. His mind was a lot more positive, but.. again, his lips were fastened shut. I found that if I focused on a single person, or nobody else was around, it was like they were _yelling_ every single thought at me. So… I trained. Every day at school I would be practising on how to block out the thoughts, on how far I could stretch my mind. I found that I could become one with their mind too – tell them to do things, whispering suggestions in their ear, thinking _as them._

“I was so _glad._ Out of every power I could’ve been given, I was given something so _invisible._ I could read minds, and even alter how they worked, what memories stayed and what memories could be completely wiped away. I could _live._ Stay with you guys. But then… It was the night of the winter dance. God, I was looking forward to that for months. It seems so materialistic compared to now...”

Namine shook her head, inhaling deeply. It didn’t take a mind reader to know she was treading on heavy baggage.

“I was with one of the dumb jocks – he’d asked me out of his own free will, and I was overjoyed. I felt so _normal._ Just a girl getting butterflies over her date. He picked me up in his car, yet when we came into the turn in for the school… He went the other way.

“I was confused. My mind didn’t _think,_ and it didn’t cross my mind just to _listen_ to his thoughts until he’d stopped the car and began harshly grabbing my dress. In a panic, I blindly threw my mind out and listened – and all I heard was _degrading_ rubbish, saying I should just give it to him, and he had this dumb smile on his face. H-He wouldn’t _stop._ So I snapped. I threw all my power at him… and broke his mind.

“He stilled, and my first emotion was _relief._ It had stopped, right? But then he was _so pale,_ and the blood just began pouring… I panicked. I shattered his mind with barely a thought. I was worn and tired and shaking and _so scared._ I remembered that you had mentioned you weren’t going to the dance, as you were never much of a dancer – so I called you, up on the hill we’d all use to stargaze, to meet. And from your mind, I wiped my existence away. You knew Kairi, and Kairi knew all my friends. Through these intersected minds I reached everyone who ever knew my existence. From your mind alone I had gone from that shy, quiet artist to nobody. Nothing. I returned home, and with tears in my eyes, wiped myself from my parents too. That… I had to do myself.

“I made sure they’d keep my room as it was. A distant cousin that promised she’d return someday. I packed a bag and left in my blood-stained dress. And I never looked back.

“Not until… My connection, a random guy I gave my number to that lived in our town, told me about you. That you’d killed a girl – Kairi – and ran. That you were a Deviant. He was to report to me about any Deviant related episodes then forget about it afterwards. I knew… I knew then that even if you _had_ killed her, you wouldn’t have by your own accord. I _felt_ your pain.

“So I kept tabs on you. Followed you without arising suspicion. But god, Roxas, it is that hard to lose those guys? They were following you for _months!”_

_There_ was the Namine he missed.

“Is that really the concern here?” Roxas spoke with a small smile on his face. “I… wish you would’ve found me sooner. Hey, if it was any later, I would’ve run right along with you.”

“If I could, I would have, dumbass. Every time I got close, soldiers would be right behind you. Afraid to get too close. Why… Why are they _so_ determined to catch you? More than any other Deviant I’ve ever seen? Not to mention you haven’t been televised even once...”

“You don’t know?” Roxas frowned. “Kairi’s brother – _Axel –_ he’s the head of the operation centred on _me._ From the things they’ve muttered from time to time, he’s the only one that’s not scared to death of me. It’s kinda funny that they’ve made me into some sort of unattainable _supervillain_.”

“Give yourself some _credit._ With a whole task force centred on you, it’s surprising you haven’t been caught yet. Though… “ Namine grinned slyly her fingers hovering over her lips, “those rumours _may_ have been started by your one and only.

“I knew about Axel joining the military. What I _didn’t_ know was that he was after you.” She sighed. “Makes sense, after all...”

“Tell me about it. I haven’t been able to relax for months. They even tried to corner me in the _desert.”_

Namine shifted so she was resting more lazily against the bed, stretching out her probably cramped limbs, shoes scuffing on the carpet lazily. “How _did_ you get away? Mind you, a desert is hard to run in and not be spotted.”

“Xion… teleported me.”

‘ _Incorrect. Like I explained before, I tapped into your powers. It was an emergency.’_

“..Tapped into? So Xion can use your powers?”

‘ _Also incorrect. I cannot use his powers at will, though I can use our link to unlock them, to a sense. It was his desperation that fuelled the shift. I just selected the destination.’_

“ _Interesting.”_ A sly smile bloomed, almost as if she was intrigued. _Excited._ _“_ Do you have any powers of your own?”

‘ _I tend to refrain from using them_ _unless necessary_ _. Though I can create shields, physical barriers around anyone and anything I see fit, as long as_ _they’re close to Roxas. I can also hack into anything electrical, though the same rules apply.’_

“Makes sense that if you don’t have a physical form, your powers favour support. How long have you had them?”

‘ _When I awoke, I was tied to Roxas and had_ _full_ _knowledge_ _and use_ _of my powers.’_

Roxas frowned at that. Something bugged him about her particular choice of words. He had always assumed she’d somehow _existed_ before he became aware of his powers, not that she’d awoken – or even been _made_ when his powers came to light?

And where did the knowledge come from?

Namine pulled him from his thoughts – she was talking to him now, her curious, round blue eyes wholly centred on him. _“_ So what powers do _you_ have? Apart from teleportation? I don’t mean to pry, but it seems like it would be difficult to-”

“To kill someone?” Roxas scoffed, his hair skimming over his shoulders as he shook his head, cutting Namine off abruptly, voice lowering. “…I don’t know. I can heal a little too, I think.”

“You don’t _know?”_

“You heard me. I don’t _want_ to know.”

The air seemed heavier as the realisation seemed to settle on Namine’s face – something he couldn’t seem to speak aloud, no matter how much he wanted to. She didn’t have to read his thoughts to know what he was thinking.

“You’re scared.”

Even Xion seemed quiet.

“That’s why you’ve been run ragged, barely escaping them each time. Why I had to work such fear in their hearts just to get them to retreat. You haven’t been using your powers _at all._ You’re scared it’s going to happen again.”

“I’m not...” His voice cracked, his hand wavering in the air, only to run it through his matted spikes nervously. “I’m not going to risk it again.”

“What if you didn’t even have that risk?”

Roxas frowned, his eyes darting up to meet hers. “What?”

“What if… Xion could shield me. I wouldn’t be at risk because you _couldn’t_ hurt me.”

“I-I don’t know, Nami…”

“You’ve been running for _months._ Scared shitless, unable to do anything. Axel’s reminding you of what you did, but _you’re only human._ I know, for a fact, you didn’t murder Kairi. You didn’t murder her because it was an _accident._ Something out of your control was forced upon you and you reacted how anyone would.” With a resolve in her eyes she grabbed his shoulders, meeting his wary yet tearful gaze. “It was _not_ your fault. And now you need to fight back.”

* * *

 

They’d wandered for a while – making sure to wipe the minds of any passers-by they saw, only to tread to a clearing in the forest. The greenery seemed to sparkle with dew, a chill in the air the further they went in.

Once they’d arrived at the clearing, a space of dirt covered rock which was surrounded by thick trees, Namine stopped in her tracks, patting her legs. “ _Well,_ this seems like a good spot...”

Roxas huffed, folding his arms. The chill was already seeping into his bones. “What… exactly are we doing?”

“Practising!”

“…Uh huh.”

“So...” Namine looked around, almost at a loss. “Oh! We know that you can teleport… why don’t we start there?”

“This is a waste of time.” Roxas spoke, rolling his eyes. “And a waste of my _energy.”_

“No,” The blonde huffed as she set about grabbing debris from the floor, her gaze becoming condescending, “it is _not.”_

“What are you _doing?”_

“ _Patience is a virtue,_ Roxas.” She glared daggers, promptly shutting him up as he left her to work. Once she’d finished, she put her hands on her hips, a large smile on her face. “Come, stand over here.”

She’d laid about a bunch of rocks within the clearing they stood in, two identical ones each on opposite sides, sitting metres apart. Once he moved to stand by her, she egged him into one of the circles, to which he reluctantly stood. Frowning as he did so.

“Try to imagine how you felt when you teleported us back to the room at the inn. Your thoughts and feelings, the rush of air… But try to contain it to landing in the spot opposite us, and as smooth as you can.”

Roxas gave her a dubious look. “ _Smooth?_ I felt like throwing up both times, not to mention the _butt aching crashing.”_

“Practice.” She patted his shoulder. “Practice, Roxas.”

He sighed, though didn’t retort back, instead closing his eyes shut. Like before, he imagined the scene before him, of where he wanted to go, though instead of the drafty old room, filled with warmth and broken windowpanes, he pictured the area in front of him; the formation of rocks, focusing on bending the air in a smaller space around him, rather than a larger area of space, the rustling of the wind in between the trees, each second that passed around him-

Only to slam directly into the tree only yards away from the circle, a protective bubble instantly forming underneath him and lowering him to the dusty floor.

“ _Ouch.”_ Namine hissed. “Are you okay?”

“For the most part.” He winced as he got to his feet. “I think.”

“Come on, let’s try again.”

Albeit reluctantly, he dusted himself off and stood back to the circle he was standing in before; the stones were crooked and out of place, the sudden movement from before knocking them off balance. The sight somehow put him off more than before.

‘ _This is rather entertaining.’_

Xion’s voice chimed in, a slightly amused edge to her voice.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence...” Roxas muttered under his breath, closing his eyes yet again, and willed the air to move him, pictured that circle in his mind, clear and precise-

The scenery changed ever so slightly as his feet skidded to a halt a few feet in front of him, almost like he’d stopped mid-run, sliding straight through the stones as they clattered around his feet, stopping just away from what was once the perfect circle.

Namine was standing still, her finger resting on her lips in thought. “... _Better._ ”

“This isn’t going to work, you know that?” Roxas groaned, rubbing his leg where a stone had skimmed past, grazing the skin slightly. “Accuracy… isn’t my thing.”

“Neither is optimism, right?”

Roxas huffed in reply, making his way back to where he was standing. And tried again.

And again.

And _again._

Until his legs gave out from under him, a sweat beginning across his brow, his hair ruffled from the force passing by him with each jump in space, pushing him to a mental exhaustion he hadn’t felt in a long time. Each time he missed, either crashing into a nearby tree, or tripping over his feet, or into the stream just yards away from where they stood. Which added _dripping clothes_ to his problems. Roxas was having this nagging feeling that it would never work – they were just wasting there time on a pointless thought, ‘training’ himself for something that may as well be a waste.

“Can we _stop_ now?” He hissed, his hands braced on his knees, a shiver rippling over his skin. Namine shushed him in response, her finger held in the air.

“… I think I’ve figured out your problem.”

“Oh, please, _enlighten me.”_

“You’re trying to force yourself to jump to somewhere else, right? Trying to move your body and everything else around with it, without precision and accuracy – sort of like a bullet. If you throw yourself at your target manically, you’re like a force barrelling through the air, no mental compass within you at _all_. Instead, try and move the air around you, like you’re _bringing_ the destination to you. Instead of crossing a long distance, make the distance shorter, like you’re connecting two destinations into one. _Step_ into where you want to be, making your body disappear and reappear like smoke, melding yourself into the air and becoming one with it, instead of _launching_ yourself there.”

Utterly drained and exhausted, too focused on _rest_ than anything else, he complied, his only thought that if it worked he could go back to _sleep._

And instead of picturing the location, _instead_ of attempting to launch himself into that god damn circle that seemed to evade him every time, he simply imagined himself stepping forward and letting the destination come to him, letting his body evaporate into mist and reforming only a step away from his current location, wisps of air moving to suit his body as he became one with the wind, wind that rustled through the trees that stretched for miles-

Only to step perfectly into the circle, his body coming back into view like he was one with the air itself as he crashed to the floor and everything went black.

* * *

 

“For _God’s sake.”_ Namine huffed, looking around at the bare expanse, almost as if she’d find an answer within the trees. “What am I going to do with you now?”

‘ _I can carry him in a shield, if you wish.’_

A squeal emerged from her lips as she whipped her head around, eyes filled with alarm. “ _Xion?_ How are you still… here?”

‘ _Although I am tied to the boy, my consciousness does not waver as his does. I do not need to rest, either.’_

“No chance you can turn him invisible too, right? Like an unconscious kid floating down streets wouldn’t be concerning...”

‘ _That is not a part of my capabilities.’_

“Then looks like we’re going to have to find somewhere to sleep for the night, or at least until Roxas wakes up. We don’t have long until sundown.”

‘ _Leave Roxas to me.’_

With Roxas eerily floating in the air, his legs and arms almost skimming the floor below, they crossed the stream and followed a small path that led through a canopy of more trees, and Namine just hoped to herself that they weren’t getting themselves lost, or worse, into even more danger.

* * *

 

With the sun gone down and a mysterious whistling to the trees, it left Namine feeling weary, her gaze passing towards the boy still passed out, floating in the air, a slight iridescent glow surrounding him. Neither of them had talked since they’d began their search, though she knew Xion wasn’t the sort to speak unless the situation fit.

“Maybe we should just try and find our way back...” She spoke mainly to herself, rubbing her arm nervously. “I can’t protect myself if anything happens, and it’s unlikely anyone will see us...”

‘ _I sense movement.’_

“Huh? _Where?”_

‘ _There’s…_ _non_ _hostile movement, inside a building, though they seem to be stationary at the current moment. To your right.’_

“A.. building?” Namine mused, stopping in her tracks. “How many people?”

‘ _One, I believe.’_

_Perfect,_ she thought, a small smile appearing on her lips. The ache in her bones were made worse by the chill, and the prospect of being out for much longer pushed her towards the direction of the building, whatever it turned out to be. She’d take her chances.

Her steps grew quicker as small lights appeared through the gaps in the foliage, the leaves rustling behind her as Xion’s bubble pushed them aside. As the shape became clearer and the lights brighter, Xion’s voice cut through the spoken silence.

‘ _The figure is standing outside.’_

Namine’s footsteps slowed to a halt as she moved apart the last branch to the clearing, noticing a feminine figure standing outside, her back to the two of them, humming as she went along. Trying her best to not make a sound she made her way towards her, trying to keep her breathing as even as she could. She’d only directly messed with someone’s mind a handful of times, after all.

“Hello.”

The person whipped around, a deep frown across her face that only morphed into one of confusion. “ _..Um._ Hello?”

“Do you live here?” Namine let the charm ooze from her voice, barrelling her thoughts and consciousness towards her unprotected mind, the compelling tone willing the girl into a sort of trance, a state of mind leaving her completely submissive – the blonde smiled, stepping closer to the woman as she worked her magic, doing what she did best.

* * *

 

Roxas awoke in an unfamiliar bed, bolting upright as panic and a chill as cold as ice worked its way through his veins.

‘ _Don’t be alarmed. Namine’s downstairs. You have some clothes in the chair opposite your current direction.’_

He let out a heavy breath he didn’t realise he was holding. ‘ _You’re talkative today. Usually you’d just let me panic.’_

‘ _Namine’s lovely company, I must say.’_

Roxas rolled his eyes. “How long have I been out?”

‘ _Almost a week.’_

Roxas winced. His mind was still hazy… the last thing he remembered was training with Namine, and being so _exhausted,_ and then… a vague recollection of relief before everything went black.

Not that stressing over it would help anything. Xion said Namine was downstairs, so that thought prompted him out of bed, his unused, aching limbs complaining with every move, slowly changing his sweat-ridden clothes into fresh new ones, revelling in their feel compared to the worn ones he’d been wearing for the past few months – even the shirt he’d grabbed a few days before he met Namine again was a cheap, off the rack thrift.

He briefly wondered how she’d managed to get them.

The room he was in didn’t look like a basic hotel, either, or like a cheap bed in breakfast – long drapes billowed against the wind, large windows stretching out into the balcony, nothing but inky darkness beyond, though he could make out the shape of trees; miles and miles of nothing ahead. The bed he’d come from must have been a king size, bigger than any hotel he’d stayed in, almost big enough for three people to lay comfortably, adorned with lace sheets and enough pillows to annoy any sane person. Underneath his feet laid a fur rug, soft enough that it seemed too _new._ Everything about the room was clean and untouched, apart from the ruffled bed he’d emerged from.

More questions bubbled in his head, egging him to leave the room and make his way downstairs, only to see Namine curled up in a book, her brows furrowed as her concentration was held fully on the world within her hands.

A quick glance around the room proved this area was no different, either. Although it was spacious, it felt _cozy,_ sofas dotted about a large television with a connected kitchen and bar, fancy looking appliances filling the gaps between marble worktops. Brown, wooden beams supported the ceiling – it felt like the house was built to fit a large family, yet modelled after a cottage. An expensive cottage.

“Hey.”

Namine’s startled eyes shot to him, though instantly softened, a smile blossoming on her face. Her book was put to the side within seconds. “You’re awake, I see. How are you feeling?”

“I…. ache? What happened?”

“You managed to teleport inside the circle, right before you passed out. Though, it wasn’t really like teleporting…. it’s like you were stepping through the air, transforming yourself, rather than moving _yourself...”_

‘ _I believe the term is_ _disenthralling.’_

“That’s… an uncommon word – I’ve heard it in a few books in the past, though never in this context. Where did you hear it?” Namine questioned, an intrigued look to her face.

‘ _Although I have the knowledge of what it is,_ _and that Roxas wields it_ _, I do not know how the term came about.’_

“Huh.” Roxas spoke to nobody in particular. All these things Xion had no recollection of learning, yet they were already _there…_ The fact hung on his mind, a sort of uncomfortable feeling settling over his chest, sticking on him like glue for days to come.

* * *

 

“So how, exactly, did you manage to _get_ this place? I’m _curious.”_

Namine smirked behind her glass, a slightly tipsy haze working over her mind. After a full day of scouting in the town, practising Namine’s control, and happily seeing the soldier count lessen from the days before, she’d suggested having a quiet evening in, watching any shitty movie they could find, indulging on takeout and alcohol. Roxas couldn’t argue with that.

“ _Well,”_ She bit her lip, still smirking, “a rich kid was staying here for a couple weeks on break. Explains how there’s like _five_ bedrooms stuffed away in this place. I stumbled upon this goldmine while looking for a place to go while you were passed out, and she was more than happy to comply. I.. planted the thought in her mind to leave here and not come back for months, yet conveniently pay the bills since a _friend_ was staying.”

“You’re a diabolical mastermind and I love you.”

“I know.”

* * *

 

A full week after they’d settled into the cottage, and fears of being found had lessened dramatically, they’d gone further into the woods to train, Namine certain that Roxas had some more powers lurking underneath. Roxas denied that – not only for the fact a small part of him _was_ still terrified he’d end up hurting somebody, but the fact it would make him face whatever he used that night with Kairi. Face some unknown part of him that he didn’t want to unearth again.

“Maybe… Maybe we just need to _force_ you in a situation, you know? Your powers might only show when you have heightened emotions, yada yada yada...”

“So, _how_ are you going to force me in a situation? Attack me?”

“You could try and block me from your mind?” Namine mused. “You know I wouldn’t go too far...”

“I’m pretty sure I don’t have mind powers like you do. If I do have any others – I wouldn’t have a clue.”

Namine didn’t seem to have an answer for that, both of them thinking silently to themselves as their feet continued on the path, the tranquil sound of leaves rustling and birds chirping the only thing that surrounded them.

“Um… Roxas. I have another reason for leading you here today.” Namine spoke nervously, like she’d been waiting to tread on the subject for a while. “I want you to… meet someone. A friend of mine.”

Roxas halted in his tracks, an eyebrow raised. “Why now?”

“My friend – he’s worried. Something’s not right, something’s _growing._ And it’s unlike the army.” She bit her lip, continuing walking as Roxas resumed. “It’s his intuition, not mine, so it might not be best for me to say… but. You need to meet him.”

“Where’s this friend, then?”

“… Look above you.”

Roxas craned his neck neck above, into the canopy of trees; and sure enough, a figure was resting on the branches above, watching them with a cocked head. When he noticed their gazes he gave them a little wave, still remaining high above, silver hair cascading down his shoulders. Whoever he was, he looked… at home, up there, in the trees. It was a strange sight.

“What the… hell?” Roxas frowned, turning to Namine. “Who...”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence, instead trailing off as the mystery man stood up perfectly straight on the branch, waving his fingers… only for the branch to _lengthen,_ twisting and twirling around, creating a step for the boy to latch onto until it reached the floor. Within seconds he’d landed on the ground, the vine attached to the branch curling around his wrist before raising back up to connect to the tree, perfectly melding into how it looked before. Almost like nothing had happened at all, and they hadn’t just watched a _tree carry someone._

“Hey,” He raised his fingers upwards in a mock salute, “the name’s Riku.”

Whoever this _Riku_ was, he was unlike anyone he’d ever seen before. Chiselled good looks, framed by long, silver hair, various braids pulling one side from his face. His green eyes twinkled with curiosity, yet held no malice. Almost as if he was looking into eyes filled with simple, pure nature themselves.

His outfit on the other hand, was a casual pair of jeans and a plain black top, his wrists adorned with hemp bracelets, a path of vines covering each arm like a delicate tattoo. Almost like-

“You’re a _Deviant_?” Roxas startled them both with his outburst, though a hearty laugh sounded from Riku’s lips.

“I thought the idea was to fill this kid in. Not to give him a heart attack, Namine.” Riku smirked, and although he addressed Namine, his eyes were wholly on Roxas.

“I didn’t want to rush him too much!” Namine crossed her arms, pouting. “I am sorry, Roxas. I wanted to tell you sooner...”

“Tell me what?”

“Now and again, I have these… prophecies. Glimpses of events or things that are destined to happen. And I saw you, Roxas… associated with a powerful group of beings, one which have remained silent and in the shadows for a while. Whether you were the one to bring them down, or eventually _join_ them, I cannot tell you. But I _know_ you’re a vital key to however this will play out.” Riku’s eyes remained steady and unflinching. “But don’t think this was the only reason Namine sought you out. You’ve been at the back of her mind a _long_ time, and she’s tried multiple times, with and without me, but couldn’t get close enough.”

“So you’re saying… I’ll either bring them down, or betray you all and become one of... _them_? Whatever they are?”

“Precisely. I have faith, because Namine has faith, that you’ll pick the right side when the time comes.”

* * *

 

“We have located No. III and V. Preparations are moving as swiftly as expected.”

“ _Perfect.”_


End file.
